The Syrian Future Movement followed with deep condemnation and concern the two successive reports of Israeli occupation forces’ attacks on Syrian territory: a ground incursion into the town of Jamla in the Yarmouk Basin area of western Daraa countryside, and artillery shelling targeting the vicinity of the Al-Mantarah Dam in the Quneitra countryside. These attacks are part of an escalating and systematic series of violations of Syrian national sovereignty and international law.
While the occupation forces continue their incursions, recent reports have revealed a massive settlement plan worth $334 million to expand the “Katzrin” settlement in the occupied Golan Heights, with the aim of transforming it into the first Israeli city in Syria. This coincides with the ongoing shelling, incursions, and abduction of civilians.
The Syrian Future Movement condemns the incursion of Israeli occupation forces on the evening of Thursday, April 30, 2026, into the outskirts of the town of Jamla in the Yarmouk Basin area of western Daraa countryside. The forces conducted raids and searches over a short distance, causing panic among the residents, before withdrawing after a limited advance. This coincided with Israeli reconnaissance flights over the southern Quneitra countryside and military preparations in the vicinity of the border area.
The following day, Friday, May 1, 2026, occupation forces targeted the vicinity of the Al-Mantarah Dam north of Quneitra Governorate with five artillery shells. No immediate information was available regarding the extent of the damage. On the same day, Israeli forces also shelled the outskirts of the city of Al-Baath in the central Quneitra countryside with two mortar rounds.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that these events are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a systematic and ongoing policy. In the early hours of December 8, 2024, despite the fall of the Syrian regime, Israeli occupation forces crossed the 1974 ceasefire line, occupying the buffer zone and additional areas in the Quneitra and Daraa countryside.
The incursion into the town of Jamla and the ensuing panic among the residents served as a microcosm of life made impossible under the threat of occupation.
In the nearby village of Al-Muqraz, which was invaded by a force of 24 Israeli vehicles on March 15, 2026, a farmer described the residents: “They came suddenly, six military vehicles. They pulled us out of the tractors, searched us like criminals, and then ordered us to leave.”
In Jabaata al-Khashab, a woman recounted how occupation forces stormed her home at dawn on March 10, 2026, and searched the rooms in front of her terrified children.
According to available data, from mid-February 2026 to mid-March 2026, at least 28 Israeli ground incursions into Syrian territory were documented.
The occupation forces also established permanent checkpoints and impromptu inspection points and conducted field arrests, detaining 17 Syrian citizens to date, some of whom remain in detention.
On April 25, 2026, 51 Israeli military incursions were recorded since April 21 alone, while a report by the research and consulting center “SARI Global,” submitted to the United Nations, documented 897 incidents attributed to the occupation, including 123 in March 2026. Simultaneously with the bombing of the Al-Mantarah Dam, the occupation government revealed the dimensions of its massive settlement plan.
On April 17, 2026, the Israeli cabinet approved a $334 million plan to expand the settlement of Katzrin and transform it into Israel’s “first city” in Syria by 2030. This expansion would involve bringing 3,000 families to the Golan Heights and developing infrastructure, housing, and academic facilities. Human Rights Watch has previously described this decision as “a clear declaration of intent to commit war crimes,” asserting that the move warrants an international response, including trade sanctions.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that these violations constitute a flagrant breach of international law. Security Council Resolution 497 (1981) unanimously declared Israel’s decision to impose its laws and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights “null and void and without any international legal validity,” and demanded its immediate rescission.
The international position is also based on the principles of Security Council Resolution 242 (1967), which affirms the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force. On November 25, 2025, the United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed this position.
The Syrian Future Movement, through its successive statements, demonstrates a firm and consistent stance in defending national sovereignty. We reiterate our previous positions:
- Statement on “Israeli Aggression Against Syria” (December 10, 2024): This statement considered Israeli pronouncements regarding the collapse of the 1974 treaty a “grave mistake” and affirmed that Syrians would not hesitate to defend their land.
- Statement on “Israeli Aggression Against Syrian National Sovereignty” (July 16, 2025): This statement condemned the blatant aggression and the targeting of civilians.
- Statement on “Israeli Incursions into Daraa and Quneitra” (March 17, 2026): This statement documented 28 incursions and considered them a daily policy aimed at spreading terror and forcing the population to flee.
- Statement on “Israeli Military Movements in Tel al-Ahmar al-Sharqi” (April 19, 2026): We condemned the establishment of new military fortifications.
- Statement on “Israeli Incursions and the Abduction of a Civilian from the Village of Umm al-Adham in the Quneitra Countryside” (April 26, 2026): We condemned the abduction of civilians and demanded the release of 17 prisoners.
Based on its steadfast positions and commitment to national sovereignty, the Syrian Future Movement calls for:
- A unified national and international stance: The current situation necessitates escalating diplomatic and media pressure on Israel, and demanding that the United Nations and the Security Council convene an emergency session and take decisive and immediate measures to put an end to this policy.
- Deterrent measures by the Syrian government: Protecting national sovereignty requires strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army and working to thwart the Israeli plan.
- Exposing and internationally thwarting the “Katzrin” settlement plan: The Syrian Future Movement is determined to expose this crime in all international forums to ensure that normalization with the occupation never occurs.
- Release the detainees and open the compensation file: The government must act urgently to recover the abductees and open the file on reparations.
The rights and rights of martyrs and the wounded. - Continuous international monitoring and documentation: The Syrian Future Movement calls for the dispatch of international missions to document violations and monitor the situation on an ongoing basis.
- End the policy of “selectivity” in international responses: The Syrian Future Movement expresses its dissatisfaction with the international community’s silence and its reliance on weak statements of condemnation, and demands that Israel be punished.
As the Syrian Future Movement observes this settlement expansion and security violations, it believes that the time has come to seize rights, not merely wait for them. The greatest hope lies in the ability of the new Syrian state to adhere to its principles, and in the unity of the Syrian people to confront the occupation’s plan aimed at dividing the country by prolonging the conflict.
The new Syria we are working towards will not be an open arena for settlement and raids.
